Lisbon – Saba:
The Portuguese capital, Lisbon, witnessed a massive demonstration on Thursday in solidarity with the Palestinian people and denouncing the ongoing Israeli aggression and genocide against them in the Gaza Strip.
The demonstrators gathered in response to calls from solidarity movements, such as the General Federation of Trade Unions, the Portuguese Council for Peace, the Portuguese Movement for the Rights of the Palestinian People and Peace in the Middle East, and the Projeto Ruido Youth Movement.
They raised the Palestinian flag and banners bearing slogans such as "Palestine will prevail," "Peace in the Middle East," and "A sovereign, independent Palestine," according to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA).
The demonstrators marched through the streets of Lisbon, chanting slogans calling for an end to the genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli enemy against the Palestinian people and for freedom for Palestine.
The demonstration was attended by writers, representatives, and academics, including the Secretary General of the Communist Party, Paulo Raimundo, and the coordinator of the Left Bloc, Mariana Mortajo.
In the same context, prominent Portuguese figures launched a petition calling on the Portuguese government to immediately recognize the State of Palestine, joining the 149 countries that have recognized the State of Palestine, including Spain, Brazil, Norway, Sweden, and Angola.
The petition, signed by approximately 600 prominent figures, including politicians, academics, military personnel, and elite journalists, also called on Portugal to commit to the deliberations of the International Criminal Court and support the implementation of the arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a war criminal wanted by the ICC, and his former Minister of Defense, the criminal Yoav Galant.
It urged preventing "the transit and transshipment of military materials bound for Israel through Portuguese territory or Portuguese territorial waters" and advocating for the adoption of these measures and positions with other countries and relevant international institutions, particularly the European Union. The signatories of the petition affirmed that they are following "with growing concern the worsening violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, war crimes, and escalating violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank."
With American and European support, the Israeli enemy army has been committing genocidal crimes in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 54,677 Palestinian citizens, the majority of whom are children and women, and the injury of 125,530 others. To date, this is a preliminary toll, with thousands of victims still buried under the rubble and on the streets, unable to be reached by ambulances and rescue teams.
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